Method and apparatus for storing and shipping perishable material



Aug. 20, 1963 w. L. MORRISON 3,100,971 r METHOD AND APPARATUS PDR sToRING AND SHIPPING PERISHABLE MATERIAL Filed April IAO, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 20, 1963 L. eMORRISON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STORING AND 4SHIPPING PERISHABLE MATERIAL lFiled April 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Ma Wo A Mark/.90N

i ice 3,100,971 METHOD AND APPARATUS EUR STORING AND SHIPPING PERISHABLE MATERIAL Willard L. Morrison, Lake Forest, Ill., assignor to Reliquefier Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 101,823 4 Claims. (Cl. 62--64) My invention relates to improvements in method and apparatus for` storing andshipping perishable material.

One object of the invention is to provide method and apparatus whereby both frozen and fresh meat and vegetables may be simultaneously stored and shipped in the same container.

Another object is to provide means and apparatus forcontrolling the temperature of the unfrozen or fresh meat or vegetables in consonance with a far below zero temperature of the frozen material.

Another object is to make it possible to freeze material to a temperature far below zero and ship that material in the same container as fresh or unfrozen material while relying upon the refrigeration effect of the far below zero material as the source of cold to maintain the fresh material at a proper shipping and storing temperature.

While sides of meat would take up much space, are preferably shipped in fresh condition, that is between the temperatures of approximately 29 to 35 degrees F. just above freezing, hamburger and other small meat products and the like are preferably shipped in frozen condition and require less space than the sides of meat. Thus the cubage required for the fresh meat is much larger than the cubage required for the frozen meat in so far as particular shipments are concerned. Therefore, I propose a ycontainer which will have in it space for hanging fresh meat, space for storing frozen meat, means for conducting the cold from the frozen meat to the fresh meat space at controlled rate so that as fthe frozen material gradually gives up cold, rising in temperature, the cold from the frozen meat will u nder controlled conditions cool the fresh meat at such a rate 'that the fresh meat does not freeze.

' Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through a container embodying my invention;

'FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l.

` FIGURE 3 is a detail vertical section on an scale through the heat control Valve.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawing.

- I have for convenience illustrated `my invention in a portable container.' It might equally well be embodied ina freight car, `a truck body, or even an ocean going enlarged ship or airplane.

The 'shipper i. container '1 encloses a relatively warm compartment 2 for storage and shipment of freshmeat and a relatively cold compartment 3 for storage and ship- .tment `of material frozen to temperatures far below zero frozen food pan 9 out of contact with the walls of the compartment for free flow of gas thereabout within the plenum chamber defined by the compartment. The two Tnc sides of the fresh food chamber 2 except where interrupted by the insulating door 10 are bounded by vertically disposed heat transfer flues 12 having metallic heat conducting cold walls 13 exposed to the chamber The flues extend downwardly yfrom the plenum chamber 3 being controlled at their upper ends by dapper valves 14 adapted to be opened and closed by Sylphon bellows l5 in the chamber 2, the Sylphon bellows being exposed to the temperature prevailing `in the warm chamber 2 and in response to the temperature in that chamber the bellows expand and contract to open or close the valves 14. As the temperature in the cold chamber falls, the bellows contract to close the valve 14. As the temperature in the warm chamber rises, the bellows expand to open the valve 14.

Mounted on the underside of the hatch 1l, supported by brackets 16 is a perforate liquid distribution grid 17 adapted to receive from an outside source through duct 18 a suitable cold boiling liquid such as liquid nitrogen at substantially atmospheric pressure. When that liquid nitrogen is supplied to the grid 17, it showers onto the frozen food packages 19 which are preferably put in place before the hatch 11 is placed and are preferably though not necessarily at normal frozen food packing house temperatures at something below zero degrees F. As this nitrogen showers on the food packages, the nitrogen evaporates and the gas escapes through the vent Ztl to atmosphere or for reliquefaction and reuse as the case may be. t

It is desirable to feed `the liquid nitrogen in at a rate such that it will not spill out of the pan v9. To insure against such spillage, the vent pipe 21 adjacent the top of the pan 9 will discharge liquid nitrogen if overflow is imminent outside the container.`

I have shown each valve `14 connected to the SylphonV tures in between the Valve opening will vary depending` upon temperature. l

The large vent Z0 open while nitrogen is being supplied may be closed when the duct 1S is removed by the cap 22 with` the check valve 24. The use and operation of my invention are as follows: Fresh meat from the packing house cold room at temperatures justabove freezing are'hung in the Warm chamber in theusual rnanner. When the chamberis full, the" Y insulating door is closed. Frozen foodfrom. the Vfrozen fooddepartment ispacked in the pan in the cold chamber and the cold chamber is then closed.V The fresh meat when the chamber is full, the start low enough tolkeep the valves 14 closed; `When the cold chamber is closed, the liquid nitrogen is poured in to `cool the contents of the cold chamber to'a point far below zero degrees F. The temperature down to which this material is cooled `depends upon conditions and time of shipment and may tbe ldetermined mathematically or` empirically as the case may be. As the nitrogen evaporates and the temperature falls in the cold room, no chan-ge takes place in the warm chamber, no liquid nitrogen being allowed to escape from the pan which contains the below will maintain a temperature atf` zero lfrozen food. When the ydesired amount of liquid nitrogen has been supplied, the cap is applied to close the vent 2()r and the assembly is ready for shipment. The Warm chamber being filled with air and meat at substantially starting temperature something above and as close as possible to 29 degrees F. the meat freezing temperature because it is desirable toship fand store the fresh meat at temperature close to' but not below the freezing point.

Meanwhile the cold chamber is lled with cold nitrogen gas, the air having been expelled by the nitro-genV and `frozen food, `the water of composition of whichfisfar below zero degrees F.

lt lis the water of composition of this far below zero food which I propose to use as the refrigerant to'maintain the temperature of the meat in the Warm chamber below the danger point, 4for example, below 35 degrees F There will be heat infiltration into both chambers and by gravity downwardly through the yhues l2 from the cold chamber 3, expelling the relatively -warrn air or gas theref in and cooling the cold or heat transfer walls 13, thus cooling the `fresh meat storage chamber. As the temperature there drops, the bellows -will gradually close the'valves 14 Y before the danger freezing point is reached. Again as temperature rises, the cycle lwill be repeated. Thus during tnavel and storage the temperature in the chamber 2 is maintained closely within the desired range, for example from 29 to 35 degrees F. Meanwhile the temperature in the cold chamber will gradually fall but since the starting temperature may be several hundred degrees belowl zero degrees F., the same percentage of rise -will be negligible and the gradual increase in temperatur-re of the contents of the cold chamber will, if the temperature has been properly selected in the rst place, permit the below zero material to arrive at destination at aV temperature still far below Zerodegrees F., -far below the dangerous point for shiptmen'tf'ofV frozen food vwhile the Vfresh food will be cool but above `the Vfreezing fpoint.

The sole refrigenant tending to maintain the temperature of the meat in the fresh meat compartment 2 is the deep frozen water of composition of the food in the cold chamber.v That refrigerant `does its work through the conducting, radiating Walls-13. The-cold wallsl and the insulating `wall 5 interpose a vapor proof barrier between the lfresh meat andthe source of cold so ythere can be no vapor migration of moisture from the meat to the cold material 19. Vapor migration stops at 13 and there the temperature differentiation between the walls V13 and the meat side 8 is ,soV small that desiccation isV reduced to a minimum and there is no escape from the warm chamber 2 stances there `will not be any frosting on the surface 13 by valve fore of the flow ofcoldfrom the cold chamber down into` the-cooling fluesjis of the essence; .'It is equally desirable thatv there be no vapor migration-from the fresh meat-to for shipment of the food itself and' the cold food is available to serve as the refrigerant to Vmaintain the necessary temperature of the fresh, nnfrozen food.

I have illustrated the preferred form. Under some circumstances, the cold gas fromv the cold chamber may be allowed to :actually enter the fresh meat compartment, the essential thing being that control of flow of heat between-the water Vof composition in the frozen food corn-r partment andthe lfresh food be so controlled that the fresh food is not reduced below the freezing point.

l have illustrated my invention ias applied primarily to meat but it is equally applicable to any food.y The below zerofoodfmight be meat, the fresh food might be vegetable vor vice versta. he temperatures still depend altogether on the convenience and need lvof the user. I have given for example temperatures' of 35 degrees F. Perhaps a higher or lower aging temperature may be desired by the packer. In any case the Sylphon bellows or power source can be adjusted to give the desired temperature. The one limiting factor is that the fresh food lbe notfrozen at anytime during shipment and storage andv that the frozen foodV always be below `a desirable cold point, preferably below zero. At the out turn of the planned shipping period, the colder compartment will be safely below zero and the fresh foo-d compartment lat a desired keeping temperature above freezing.

The Sylplhon bellows is a suit-able `form of thermally [actuated power unit. Other power units Aother heat motors might be used with equal effect.

rlihe heat exchange liners being interposed between the insulated container Wall land the warm chamber serve as additional insulation or heat dow barrier to assist in maintaining the temperature in the warm chamber at a steady state.

I claim: A Y

1. The method of storing foodk which consists in placing a body `of frozen food in a frozen food zone, showering such food with liquid nitrogen at atmospheric pressure until the water of composition of the fno-zen food has reached a predetermined low point, then closing the zone, placing fresh `food at temperature in the order of 29 to 35 degrees F. in a fresh food zone, closing that zone,

conducting cold gas from Vthe frozen `food zone into heat' radiatingrelationship with the fresh food zone, while pre-f venting entrance of the gas into the fresh food zone.

`2. The method of storing food which consists in plac- Y mg' a-body of frozen food in' a .fro-zen Ifood zone, showerconducting cold gas from the frozen food zone into heat of the moisture Ifrom the meat. Under ordinary circumbecause before-the temperature has come down to' a point where frosting is dangerous, ow will be cutoff 14E-ready for then-next cycle. i

the lfrozen meat first. because that would desiccate the 'y meat and second, because-that would tend to insulate the frozen material and decrease its effectiveness as a refrigerant.V It is :the Water of composition which serves as the refrigerant just asA ice `does in the usualice and salt refrigerator car. The mere fact that the water of composition is found in the meat doesknot in any wlay decrease'its n effectiveness as a coolant., By this arrangement, all the cubage except that required Vfor insulation is available radiating relationship Withthe fresh food zone, contnolling the rate of gas movement in consonance with change in.

temperature in the fresh food zone, while `preventingv entrance of the gas into the freshfood zone. y.

3.5 The method vof storing perishable food .which consists lin maintaining the food in two separate, closed, gas Y containing' zones, insulated onerfrom the other and one, above the other, maintaining the food inthe upper zone;` ata temperature far below zero degrees F. landmaintaining the foodyin the lower zone-at a temperature'abovel freezing by cinculating the gas contained in the upper zone of Vgas circulation independent of the temperature of the upper zone in consonance with variation of temperatureV of the gas in the lower zone.

4. In an insulated cold storage container, two storage chambers insulated from one another, one above and one below, a tray in the upper chamber adapted to contain perishable material, means in the `lower chamber adapted to support perishable material, dead ended heat exehange pockets extending downwardly from the upper chamber along the sides of the lower tohamiher, closed against escape of gas therefrom, valves hetween the upper chamber and the heat exchange pockets and means for opening and closing said valves in consonance with change in temperature of the gas in the lower chamber.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Small June 21, 1932 Martin Nov. 15, 1932 Aylsworth Mar. 7, 1933 Borgerd et al Apr. 11, 1944 Lehmann Nov. 14, 1950 

1. THE METHOD OF STORING FOOD WHICH CONSISTS IN PLACING A BODY OF FROZEN FOOD IN A FROZEN FOOD ZONE, SHOWERING SUCH FOOD WITH LIQUID NITROGEN AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE UNTIL THE WATER OF COMPOSITION OF THE FROZEN FOOD HAS REACHED A PREDETERMINED LOW POINT, THEN CLOSING THE ZONE, PLACING FRESH FOOD AT TEMPERATURE IN THE ORDER OF 29 TO 35 DEGREES F. IN A FRESH FOOD ZONE, CLOSING THAT ZONE, CONDUCTING COLD GAS FROM THE FROZEN FOOD ZONE INTO HEAT RADIATING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FRESH FOOD ZONE, WHILE PREVENTING ENTRANCE OF THE GAS INTO THE FRESH FOOD ZONE. 